Improving the Energy Efficiency for Propane Recovery from Natural Gas using Pinch Technology: A Case Study

Mohamed, Hussien; EL Temtamy, Seham A.; Gad, Mohamed S.; El Sheikh, Taher; Fetouh, Tarek

doi:10.21608/jpme.2020.47253.1051

Improving the Energy Efficiency for Propane Recovery from Natural Gas using Pinch Technology: A Case Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Process Development Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt

² Mining and petroleum Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt.

10.21608/jpme.2020.47253.1051

Abstract

Process integration (PI) techniques is an efficient approach to increase the profitability due to reduction in energy, water and raw materials consumption, reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and in waste generation. The PI method, pinch technology is certainly the most widely used in industrial processes. When planning a new plant or revamping an existing plant it is very important to understand and select the right process to minimize capital and operating costs. This research was directed to investigate the reduction of energy consumption in propane recovery units that process natural gas produced from wells existing in the Egyptian western desert fields. The first step was process simulation of the existing gas processing plant using AspenHysys8.3 steady state process simulation program. Next, pinch technology has been adopted in order to achieve minimum hot and cold utilities and save capital cost of the process. Target utilities were calculated using pinch analysis in the Aspen energy analyzer program. Modifications in heat exchanger network could result in savings of 8.3% in hot utility, 6.5% in cold utility of the existing plant and of 46.7% in capital cost for a grass root plant.

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